Departments are primarily created to 'match' Payroll Departments... and they also can have inferences for Scheduling.
Below is an example of the Food/Beverage Department setup:
Department Code: A 'Code' for the Department.
Description: A 'Description' for the Department.
Pay Schedule: The relevant Pay-Schedule for this Department (that is, 'Payment Schedule' from the Timekeeping System). Optional.
Email Address: A relevant Email Address for the Department (or Department Head). Optional.
External Payroll (Department): The equivalent Payroll-System 'Department' to be associated with the Abacus Department.
For operational or more precise Management or Scheduling purposes, there may be "more" (or different) Abacus Departments set up... and this is where any specific Abacus 'Department' gets mapped to a specific 3rd-Party Payroll-System 'Department'.
Consult with your 3rd-Party Payroll System Vendor for further details on the appropriate mappings.